Angel Food Cake ... From Scratch!

I had been wanting to make an angel food cake for about a month.  I found a recipe with good reviews, I borrowed an angel food cake pan from my mom, and I got all the ingredients I needed.  My mom then informed me that most "homemade" angel food cakes were a boxed mix and she hadn't ever made one from scratch. *gulp*. I started wondering if I had set myself up for failure, but decided to go ahead and give it a try.  I followed the directions to a T and was super pleased with the end result!

My dad told me that my mamaw use to always put pink icing on hers.  And since I love old traditions, I decided to so the same :)

I shared with everyone I saw over the next 24 hours.  The kids raved about it being "the best cake EVER".  I'm looking forward to making it again and again!  

First time I had ever cracked 12 eggs and not broke an egg yolk!

What the "stiff peaks" should look like.

Recipe:

1 cup cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
12 large egg whites, MUST be room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (I substituted with a combination of extracts that included almond)

Directions:
Note: For those not use to making angel food cakes Don't get any yoke in the whites, if you do throw out and start over. I always separate the egg in a glass first. Then if no yoke pour into measuring container. 

DO NOT GREASE PAN.
I used a two piece angelfood cake pan.
Heat oven to 375°.
Sift the cake flour and 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar; set aside.  (I actually sifted!)
Combine the extracts in a small bowl; set aside.
Beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until it forms peaks.
Add the other 3/4 cup of sugar slowly, then beat on high until stiff peaks form.
If you have a mixing guard for your mixer bowl now would be a good time to attach it. 

Beating on LOW, add flour mixture and extracts slowly. 

Make sure you fold in the sides and bottom of your mixing bowl. 

(You can fold in flour mixture by hand but this way is faster.) 

Spoon into an angel food cake pan. Move a knife through batter to remove air pockets. 

Bake 35 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly with finger. 

Invert pan onto tin funnel to cool completely. 

To remove the cake from your pan run a knife around the rim of the cake pan just to get the 'crust' away from the pan. 

Then firmly spank the sides of your pan. (Be prepared for it to fly out! haha)

You could use a knife but this sometime tears the sides of the cake. 

Invert onto your serve plate then take the knife to the now top which was the bottom of your pan and gently cut cake away from the pan insert. 

No need to cut around the center tube as you just give the cake a gently but firm tap or downward shake on to the plate. 

Or you can pick up plate while holding onto the pan insert with your thumbs and firmly strike the bottom of the plate onto a folded towel. (Just give it a slam down on the towel/table).

Glaze:

2 Tbsp melted butter

2 Tbsp milk

1/4tsp vanilla

1 C powdered sugar

food coloring

Mix all ingredients together and drizzle on cooled cake!